Firm and beautiful skin, lush, shiny and strong hair are not only an element of body beauty, but also a sign that the body is healthy and functioning well.
Important facts about skin and hair
- The skin is the largest organ in the human body, accounting for about 5% of the total body weight. Skin acts as a natural barrier between the internal and external environment, and therefore plays an important role in protecting the body against mechanical or chemical damage, micro-organisms and ultraviolet radiation. The abundant vascular network in the skin is involved in tissue nutrition, body temperature regulation, healing of skin injuries and the immune response.
- The strength and firmness of the skin is provided by a network of cross-linked fibrils made of the structural protein collagen, which is a main part of the intercellular material. The amount of collagen in the skin is what determines its thickness. Interestingly, women of all ages have lower levels of collagen in their skin than men.
- Hyaluronic acid is another important component of the skin’s intercellular material. Hyaluronic acid is a mucopolysaccharide, also called a glycosaminoglycan, which has the unique ability to bind and retain water molecules, thus providing moisture and elasticity to the skin.
- Your skin changes over time. As we age, the amount of hyaluronic acid and collagen production in our skin decreases. As a result, ageing skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic. Wrinkles are the most visible sign of ageing skin. Fine lines on the face start to appear around the age of 40 or 50.
- Hair and nails are skin accessories, so their condition is closely linked to the condition of the skin. The hair follicle, although very small, is one of the most complex organs in the human body, which undergoes constant renewal. The hair follicle is based in the hair follicle bulb, where the living cells grow and divide. Blood vessels supply the cells of the hair follicle with nutrients and hormones, which influence the growth and structure of the hair during different periods of life.
- The pigment melanin is produced by melanocytes and is continuously released as the hair grows, giving the hair its colour. As long as the antioxidant mechanisms in the cells are working properly, the colour of your hair will stay bright. When the antioxidant defence system in the hair follicles starts to weaken, the melanocytes die and, as the melanin gradually diminishes, the hair becomes grey and eventually goes white.
- The condition of your skin and hair is influenced by a wide range of external factors including beauty treatments, oxidative stress caused by UV rays, smoking and other external irritants. Oxidative stress causes thinning and a loss of smoothness in the skin, depigmentation of the hair and age-induced hair greying. It is also one of the mechanisms that contributes to hair loss. Fortunately, the body has non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant defence systems that protect the cells from the harmful effects of reactive free radicals.
- The general state of the human body, involving your metabolism, endocrine and central nervous systems, has a major influence on the condition of the skin and the rate of hair growth, as well as your overall appearance. Skin renewal and hair growth, and even hair colour changes, can be influenced by physical exhaustion, mental strain, constant stress, hormonal fluctuations, deficiencies in certain nutrients due to an overly restrictive diet, insufficient nutrition, or a metabolic disorder caused by certain diseases.
